Discarded Souls: Bloody Dawn
by Darkslayer
Summary: A new character is introduced into the Sailor Moon universe, but why is he there?
1. Prelude of a Stranger

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and 

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming.There are a lot of big name products and people that appear in this fic.I lay no claim to them whatsoever.However, this fanfic _is_ mine, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay. 

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Discarded Souls

By Darkslayer

Chapter 1

Prelude to a Stranger

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_MYSTERIOUS FIGURE IN BLACK ENDS "PERVERTED PRIEST'S" ESCAPADES!_

He raised an eyebrow as he read that headline.Not that anyone would notice; his sunglasses helped to mask his expressions quite well.The only thing that a passerby would give him a second glance about was a little further north than his face.

Oh well, sometimes it sucked to have silver hair.

He checked his watch for the fourth time as he waited patiently for his friend to show up.The paper had grabbed his attention with that six-column wide caption, and he skimmed through the following paragraphs while sipping his coffee.When he reached the end, he leaned back in his chair and the background noise of the café slowly dissipated as he remembered back to that day . . .

========================

His watch read 11:59 A.M.

He extracted his shades from a pocket in his coat and slowly put them on, taking a lazy look around the small plaza in front of the cathedral.An icy wind blew by, catching the ends of his long black coat and tossing them about.He shuddered as the breeze pushed against him—he had always hated the cold, and here it was, almost mocking him with its power.It eventually died down, and he was able to make it to the doors of the church just before the first bell rang.

He stepped to the left, pulling on the handle and opening the door as someone pushed from the other side.A gasp met his ears as a middle-aged woman dressed in her Sunday best saw a stranger dressed in black from head to toe waiting on the outside.Thinking quickly, he smiled as best as he could, and addressed her in his low voice:

"Allow me to hold the door for you, miss."

She relaxed slightly after that, and exited the church with a hasty manner, already yearning to get to her warm apartment.He watched as several dozen more people pushed through the small doorway and out into the plaza, hurrying to their cars to escape the chilly air.After waiting a few moments, he slipped through the bustling crowd and headed toward the pulpit, moving slowly but surely.When he reached the podium, he made a sharp left and checked his watch again.

It read 12:05 P.M.

He stopped beside a support pillar and leaned against it, facing toward the confessional booths.Counting off the seconds in his mind, he waited until a middle-aged man with graying hair walked past him and entered the first booth.He took a quick look around and found only a few straggler parishioners making their way out the front entrance.Satisfied that they were alone, he walked over to the first confessional booth and took a seat in the confessor's side.

Following custom, he leaned back against the wall and waited for the priest to open the grill.The other man did so, drawing near the small opening and speaking in a wheezing voice.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned."

"What is your sin?" the priest asked.

"I'm going to kill a man of the cloth today, Father."

The priest inhaled sharply at the reply, but managed to compose himself and stammer out another question.

"Why are you going to kill a man of God?"

"Because you haven't lived up to His expectations, Father."

Before the priest could say anything further, the other man got up and entered the opposite side of the confessional.He removed a silver knife from his coat and slashed the priest's throat once, watching the blood flow freely from the wound.After a moment, he lifted the weapon and plunged it into the man's chest, pinning him to the back of the booth.The blood had already begun to trickle down to the floor, creating a large dark shape on the light colored carpet.Satisfied with his work, he exited the booth and closed the door, turning to leave.

"What are you doing?" asked a woman's voice.

He turned around to see a young woman dressed in a nun's habit walking toward him and the booth.Before she could ask him anything else, she looked at the dark stain that was spreading on the carpet.When she had looked back at where he had been, she found him gone.A wave of anxiety washed over her as she rushed forward to the booth and flung open the door.She took one look at the mess that had been a priest and promptly began to scream.

========================

In the following investigation, police found the photos and videotapes of the dozen or so children that Father Connell had abused and drew the conclusion that a family member of one of the children committed the murder.However, after a through alibi check, they found every possible suspect excluded from the list, and the case was eventually marked as 'unsolved'.

A person smacking his face and shouting in his ear suddenly threw him out of his flashback.

"Joseph!JOSEPH!!WAKE UP YOU FREAKING IDIOT!!"

He was fully aware in a matter of seconds, grabbing the hand that struck him in mid-swing and pulling the person closer to him.It was a girl, about his age, with vibrant red hair and a pair of the darkest sapphire eyes that he had ever seen.She stood up, placing her hands on her hips, and stared at him with a scolding look in her eyes.

"Just what the fuck is that all about?" she demanded, motioning toward the paper on the table.

He looked at her over the tops of his shades and smiled."Sarah.You've been hanging around with me for too long.You're even beginning to curse like me."

They both managed to keep a straight face for all of two seconds before they broke out laughing.When they recovered themselves, Sarah took a seat opposite Joseph and signaled to the café waitress.She reached across and grabbed the paper from him, pointing to the headline and repeating her initial question, only slightly toned down this time.

"Seriously, J.Why this bastard?"

He sipped the scalding hot coffee as he considered his response."I don't like people who fuck with kids."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.

"I'd rather not discuss it, Sarah."

"Alright then.New topic.When are you leaving?"

"Hmm. . .what's today?"

"It's Tuesday."

"I'll be leaving at the end of the week, on Saturday."

"Damn.And to think of all the fun times that I won't get to have without you here," she said, suppressing a fake sniffle.

"You'll probably get some other poor guy to be your slave," he replied, glancing at the paper, "Well, what do you know.The new neutral color is eggplant."

Joseph braced himself as he felt her icy stare on the other side of the newspaper.He slowly lowered it to look at her flashing eyes and pouty face.The waitress arrived at the table at that moment, and she removed a pad of paper from her small apron, addressing Sarah:

"What'll you have, miss?"

Sarah just glared at Joseph.

"She'll have a large _decaf_ cappuccino, no frothy stuff," Joseph replied, looking at the paper again.

"Alright.Anything else for you, sir?"

He gave her his warmest smile and lifted his cup again."Just a refill for me, please."

========================

"You know that the Church is probably going to investigate this one personally."

"I'm aware of that fact."

"Then why in God's name did you do that, Joseph!" she snapped, stopping on the sidewalk, "You knew about what that man was doing—why not just point the cops in the right direction?"

"It's a personal matter, Sarah.I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Maybe I would if you explained it to me."

"There are some aspects of my past that I don't know about, and there are those that I don't want anyone else to know about, even if that person's one of my closest friends."

"Fine, fine.Let's just drop it altogether, ok?"

"Well, you were the one who brought it back up, you know."

She smacked his arm with her fist and shook a finger at him."Don't even go there right now, Mr. Miller.Now what movie are we going to see?"

He looked up and was slightly surprised to find them outside the movie theater.Sarah was standing a few feet away, studying the movie times as she tried to warm her hands up in her bomber jacket.He admired her braided red hair from a distance, thinking about how good it looked in any style, as long as it was on her.Joseph caught himself before his mind could go any further in that direction, and he re-focused his attention on the task at hand.

"Ladies choice," he replied, looking over the posters, "Anything but a romance film."

"Alright.Psycho-slasher-thriller it is."

He groaned as she pulled him to the ticket booth and then inside the old theater.

========================

After the movie ended, they exited the theater and walked for a little while.Sarah continued to drone on and on about various parts of the movie she liked and hated while Joseph added an appropriate response whenever needed.He thought of all the good times they had had, and the time that they first met.He was surprised with himself when he felt a small pang of regret needle at his mind as he thought about how much he _would_ miss her.Fortunately, before he could go any further into his own self-analysis, they arrived at her house.

There was a long, awkward pause as they stood there on her front doorstep, looking at everything but each other.From seemingly out of nowhere, an almost delicate snowfall began, blowing thousands of white flakes all over the street.He finally broke the silence by touching her chin with his hand and looking directly into her eyes.

"It's not like I'll be gone forever, you know," he began.

"But you don't know, right?" she added.

"I'm sorry.The situation is pretty delicate as it is with my mother, and this will be good for her."

"But she isn't even your real mother!" Sarah blurted, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"You're sad because I'm leaving and you don't know when I'll be back, or if I'm even coming back, and you're worried that things will change too drastically for us, right?" he whispered.

"Damn straight," she replied, a hot tear falling down her cheek, "I don't want things to change, Joseph.I liked it the way it was—the way it's been."

"And you think I haven't?I don't want this any more than you do, but I have to go.I can't just abandon my mother without some serious trouble happening, and then where would we be?"

"Damn it all," she said, hugging him fiercely, "I don't want to lose you, Joseph.You mean too much to me."

"I give you my word that we will meet again, Sarah.I can't do much beyond that."

"Yes, you can," she said slowly, looking up at him.

Sarah closed her eyes and kissed him passionately, clinging to the moment for all she was worth.The world seemed to slow down around them, and she never wanted it to end, but it was not to be.They eventually separated and stood there, looking at each other as the beginning of another awkward silence began.This time, she broke it.

"I'll see you in a few years, then."

"Yeah."

With that, she turned and fled inside her house, shutting the door and locking it behind her.She looked through the small decorative glass pane at the top of her door and watched as Joseph looked at the house for only a second, then turned and walked away.

And the snow fell . . .

End of Chapter 1


	2. There Comes a Stranger

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming.This fanfic is mine, however, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay.(Besides, the Sailor Scouts and other such things are property of big-name people that could sue me blind if I didn't promise not to dishonor their fabulous creation.)

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Discarded Souls

By Darkslayer

Chapter 2

There Comes a Stranger

=============================

"I know that leaving your friends and life in Boston was a tough decision, honey, but I think you'll like it here in Tokyo."

Joseph turned away from the window he was lazily staring out of, to look at his mother.Her gray eyes were filled with an uncertainty that he had never seen from her before, forcing him to consider his reply carefully.

"I'll give it a try," he said slowly, looking away from her.

Kristin could not help but feel a pang of guilt knife through her heart as her son looked away.He had been sullen before, but it was like he was totally isolated from everything now.She thought that a large part of his now reclusive nature drew from the death of his father only a year before.Even though the coroner declared that he died from a bizarre hunting accident, she _knew_ that something was off.Although her instincts told her to discover the truth behind the incident, she put it all behind her for the sake of her son.

*God, how I miss you Stephen,* she thought sadly.

Joseph looked at his mother through the corner of his eye.He sensed an intense feeling of guilt and sorrow radiating from her, some of which he felt was his fault.She may have loved and cared for him as a mother would for a son, but she wasn't his biological mother.The deception he had made initially out of pity and compassion had now thrown him for a curve that he wasn't sure he was willing to take.

Sighing softly, he turned back to the window of the airplane and looked out at the endless sea of blue sky and white clouds, falling back into the trance he started only a few hours ago.

========================

Less than an hour later, the captain came on the loudspeaker and announced the flight's arrival in Japan.He gave the customary warning for the passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.They did as they were told, and the jet came to a bumpy but solid landing, taxiing to the terminal and discharging its cargo safely.As the people emptied out of the plane, Joseph helped his mother retrieve their carryon luggage and they walked over to the baggage claim carousel.

"Wait here," Kristin instructed, "I'm going to go see if our car is ready."

"Alright," Joseph agreed, looking for a place to sit.

She smiled and gave him a hug before she turned and disappeared in the crowd of people.Joseph sighed once before walking over to a row of chairs and promptly dropping onto the nearest one, allowing the few items of luggage that he had to collapse to the floor in front of him.Looking around to fight off boredom and jet lag, his eyes came to rest on a nearby newspaper stand.The headline on one of the publications caught his attention with its unusually worded headline.

_SAILOR SOLDIERS: URBAN LEGEND OR FRIGHTENING FACT?_

"What the hell?" he murmured, skimming through the content.It read:

_The 12th precinct has yet to give any answers to the recurring phenomenon that seems to happen all over the greater part of Tokyo.Dozens of eyewitness reports offer up the same basic facts: _

_ _

_1)__All bystanders in the area complain of the same symptoms associated with fatigue and shock._

_2)__Whenever these symptoms manifest themselves, it has been reported that a strange creature or 'monster' is said to induce these feelings on the victims._

_3)__There is always a girl or group of girls, estimated age being 13-18 years, that show up dressed in altered school uniforms that 'battle' the alleged 'monster' with some kind of 'magic'._

_4)__It has also been reported that upon the destruction of said monster, the symptoms abate moderately, and many victims have shown no signs of having experienced any fatigue or trauma._

_ _

Whether these events are nothing more than a repeat case of mass hallucination caused by too much stimulation via television or a real case of monsters plaguing Tokyo is still in debate.Several psychologists and scientists have taken differing views on the subject, with neither side prevailing in evidence or reason.

_See SAILOR, page 3._

_ _

Joseph blinked once before taking a look at the artist's conception sketch accompanying the article.It showed a slim girl dressed in what looked like a one-piece swimsuit with an extremely short skirt and bows all over the place.The girl's proportions were obviously exaggerated, and she looked like nothing more than the artist's fantasy woman, battling a mass of what seemed to be slimy tentacles.

"Probably one of those fucking pervert artists," he mused, looking away from the drawing.

Still, the concept of a couple of schoolgirls fighting evil 'monsters' was a laughable concept, at least to him.All that was needed was a super villain with a yearning to rule the universe with a seemingly endless supply of power to help them and a relentless dedication to their task and it would be a comic book.

*Hell, it could even be a popular anime show over here,* Joseph thought, chuckling to himself, *Call it a stupid name, give it a few goofy sidekicks and throw in the girl power factor—you'd have a fucking franchise on your hands.*

"Joseph!" called a female voice, "Joseph!!"

He snapped out of his reverie just in time to hear his mother calling his name.Shaking his head, he grabbed their luggage and hurried over in her direction, fighting against the never-ending crowd of people.

========================

After he dropped their things in the back of the car, he slid into the passenger seat and ran his hand over the dash.His father's company had gone above and beyond the huge life insurance policy that had already been paid to Joseph's mother, snagging them a great house in one of the suburbs of Tokyo and evening furnishing it for them.As the CEO of the company had said:

'Stephen Miller was an invaluable asset to this company.It's the least we can do.'

Joseph didn't like the huge amounts of money being thrown around because of his adoptive father's death, but it did smooth the transition for his mother.That, along with her company's need for a new head of marketing in their Japan branch led to the ease of the relocation.The brand new BMW that they were climbing into didn't hurt, either.All in all, there were very few rough spots for the two of them and their move to Tokyo.

But it was those rough spots that they unconsciously fixated on.

He extracted a map of Tokyo and a small piece of paper with directions on how to get to their new house.After finding the recommended route, he pointed out the appropriate streets to his mother, allowing her to drive almost flawlessly in the heavy traffic.They eventually ended up on a smaller, less crowded road that led them by several middle-class houses.When they arrived at their destination, they saw a large moving van pulling out of the driveway and down the road away from the house.

She parked the car in the driveway and got out of it, with Joseph not far behind her.Taking the set of keys that was given to her, she unlocked the front door and stepped inside.The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and furniture polish; along with the 'new house' smell that was common to many freshly built domiciles.She looked around at the contents of the living room and slowly progressed to the master bedroom, then the bathroom, and finally the kitchen.Kristin looked around the entire house before returning to the living room and collapsing on the couch.Joseph descended the stairs leading to the second floor and joined her in the living room.

"So, what do you think, honey?"

"Does Martha Stewart know you stole her house?" he replied, looking around the room.

He caught the throw pillow she chucked at him, barely suppressing a smile.

"Watch it buster," she warned him, "or you'll be living in the basement."

"I'm surprised about that," he commented, tossing the pillow back to her, "I didn't think many houses in Japan had basements."

"I don't know if they do or if they don't," she sighed, rising up from the couch, "And I don't really care.I'm only interested if you like it."

"It's perfect.I'm happy if you're happy."

"Good.Now, if you have no objections, I'd like to get unpacked and start making this place a home."

"I'll get the luggage," he offered, exiting through the front door.

Joseph walked over to the driver's door and opened it, reaching inside and pulling the trunk release.He moved around to the back of the car and proceeded to remove their things.After the bags had been removed, he reached up to close the trunk and paused, inhaling deeply.

It was then that a yellowish blur slammed into him, knocking him over.

Joseph rolled backward onto his feet, rising up quickly and assessing the situation.He looked at the pavement to see what had slammed into him.A pair of orange roller blades were attached to a set of lightly tanned, slim legs.The legs led up to what he assumed to be a school uniform, but it had a sailor's look to it.To top it all off, a pair of bright blue eyes blinked twice, then stared right back at him.

The girl sat on the ground, looking at him for a moment, then attempted to get up.Joseph watched as she tried to stand and failed, falling on her butt and pulling her own hair by accident.Chuckling to himself, he walked forward and, grabbing her around the shoulders, lifted the girl up until she was standing, if shakily.She wobbled over to a nearby streetlight and grabbed hold of it for dear life, sizing Joseph up much in the same way that he had done with her.

"Walk much?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm not that bad!" she replied, shaking a little more, "This is only my third time on skates."

"It shows," he chuckled, extending a hand."Need some help with getting the hang of those?"

The girl slowly reached out, grabbing his hand with her left, and then clasping on for extra stability with her other.He slowly wrestled his arm away from her deathlike grip until she was just hanging onto his wrist with both hands.Satisfied, he began to walk back up the driveway, dragging her along behind him.True to her form, the girl overcorrected her balance problems time after time and more than once she was hard pressed not to fall.They eventually made it to the front steps of Joseph's new house, where the girl dropped down and began to frantically untie the rollerblades.

"You overcompensate a lot," he mused, "you should work on your balance first."

After removing the skates, the girl stood up and leveled a finger at him."Look, buddy," she snapped, "I can walk and move just fine, thank you very much.I don't see you being the master of balance over here!"

Smirking, Joseph flipped backward, catching himself on one hand, then flipped again, catching himself with the other.He finished the show by pushing off the ground and landing squarely on his feet.He brushed his palms together, and then crossed his arms, smiling the entire time.

"You were saying, miss?"

The girl's jaw dropped."How did you?"

"I learned a thing or two from the 'master of balance'."

She lowered her gaze, shaking slightly.Joseph's eyes narrowed as he watched her, wary of just what she might do next.His concern was unfounded, though, for she suddenly looked straight at him and broke out into laughter.

"You know, you remind me of one of my friends," she said, brushing back a strand of her hair, "My name's Mina.What's yours?"

"Joseph," he replied, "Are you from this neighborhood?"

"Yeah, I live about a half-block up the street," she answered, pointing in an easterly direction.She looked at him, then at the house, then back at him again."Are you the one who bought this house?"

"I'm not the buyer, my mother is.I just got here today," he said, nonchalantly, "and I have no idea where 'here' is!"

Mina laughed again, making him feel a bit uncomfortable, and he had a sudden feeling of déjà vu.She was still talking, and he began to nod in affirmation of what she was saying. When he tried to think of just where he had seen her before, she suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"So, would that be ok?" she asked.

"W—what?" he stammered, breaking out of his trance.

"Would that be ok?" she repeated, looking at him strangely.

"Uh, sure," he affirmed, hoping it was the correct answer.

"Great!" she squealed, clapping her hands together, "How about you meet me at my house tomorrow, in the afternoon?"

"I'll be there with bells on," he said, winking at her.Mina suddenly turned a light shade of pink, looking away from him and at her watch.A look of surprise crossed her face as she faced him again.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed, "I'm going to be late for the meeting!Well, it was nice meeting you, Joseph!I'll see you tomorrow!"

He watched as she grabbed her blades, then took off down the street, waving back to him.Joseph responded with a similar gesture, and walked over to where the luggage sat on the driveway.He picked up the bags and made his way over to the door before a thought suddenly struck him.

*Oh my god,* he thought, *What in the hell did I just agree to?*

End of Chapter 2


	3. New Beginnings

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming.  This fanfic is mine, however, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay.

=====================================================================

Discarded Souls

By Darkslayer

Chapter 3

New Beginnings

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            One thing Japan had in common with America—school sucked no matter where you attended.

            "I have to wear _what_?" he asked, incredulous to the counselor's comment.

            "I know that it is a change for you, Mr. Miller," the counselor continued, "But in Japan, we require that the students wear uniforms to school.  It helps to provide a non-hostile environment where no one is distracted and everyone can learn peacefully."

            Joseph sighed.  "Alright.  Where do I pick up some uniforms for this school?" he replied.

            The man gave him a pamphlet from a local clothing shop as an answer.  He continued on with his explanation of the school, its traditions and policies, and what kind of behavior was expected of the students.

            "And I'm afraid that that silver paint in your hair will have to come out," the man scolded, "We do not allow hair dye in school at any time."

            "I hate to burst your bubble, then, but this is the real deal. 100% all natural," Joseph laughed, "Here.  Feel it yourself."

            The man did just that, leaning across the desk and tugging on the prospective student's hair and rubbing it to see for himself.  Frowning when it did not come out, he groaned and scribbled something down on the sheet of paper he was holding.  The man replaced that sheet of paper with another, and began to write again, filling out some kind of form.  Joseph tried to get a closer look, but the man was intent on blocking any view Joseph might have had.  Eventually, the man came to another stopping point, and began to talk about the grading policy.

            "I see that your grades at semester in your old high school were all exceptional," the man started, "But there seems to be a problem.  Your math grades to date have been less than acceptable."

            "So I'm bad at math," Joseph shrugged, "So what?"

            "I'm afraid that Juban High School does not allow students to pass a class with anything less than a C.  Until you show improvement on your own, I'm placing you under academic probation."

            Joseph nearly bolted up from his chair.  "_Excuse me?!_"

            The man did not look up.  "You'll be assigned a tutor until your grades improve and you are able to maintain a C or better in math," he droned, handing Joseph a slip of paper, "Here's your advisor.  That's the person you report to until the grade comes up."

            Joseph stood up slowly, his fists balled up tightly enough to make them look paler than usual.  In fact, one of his hands looked a pale, bleached white, with a rough texture to match.  He caught himself before his anger took over, and his hand returned to normal.  He turned to leave and was at the door before his pride took over.  Taking a deep breath, he remarked:

            "This school is full of shit.  Especially the administration."

            The door slammed hard enough to rattle what little was on top of the counselor's desk.  He groaned as he finished the paperwork up, and reached into his desk to grab a special stack of sticky notes.  He removed the top one and affixed it to Joseph's permanent record, writing on the label:

            'Authority Problem'.

=============================

            He walked out of the front doors of the high school hastily.  A cool breeze blew through the air, making him wish he had worn his long coat before coming to complete his registration.  Kicking himself mentally, Joseph wondered for the millionth time why he had chosen to attend school once more, seeing that each time he did, it just got worse and worse.

            "Heh.  My first millennium of being alive and here I am with the worst of this generation," he chuckled, slipping his sunglasses on.

            The crisp autumn air, coupled with the hustle and bustle of the people around him helped Joseph to forget about the frustrations of school as he walked along the sidewalk.  Numerous shops and restaurants were quite busy, creating small pockets of noisy distraction all around.  He paused infrequently, noting the names of several places that interested him, and making a mental note to visit said shops later.  As he was taking all of this in, a stray thought darted into his mind and made him stop in his tracks.

            "Jesus tap dancing Christ," he swore softly, "I have to meet that girl at her house this afternoon!"

=============================

            Mina pushed away from the small table and stood up, gathering her things.  The other two girls that were sitting on the floor gave her a funny look as she did so, the blond asking her:

            "Hey, Mina.  Where are ya going to?"

            She turned around to face her friends and replied, "I have to go to my house.  I'm supposed to meet someone there at three o'clock, and I don't wanna be late."

            The brunette perked up at this remark and added her two cents worth.  "Oh.  Sounds important.  Could it be that cute 8th grader you've been eying for the past week?"

            At this, Mina blushed slightly, with an almost reflexive shaking of her head and waving of her hand.  "No!" she exclaimed, "Nothing like that!  I'm just meeting someone from my class…to help her study over a hard part in the chapter we're on.  That's all!"

            "Yeah, sure," quipped the blond, "I'm sure you and this 'classmate' will be doing a lot of 'studying'…"

            "Serena!" Mina snapped, blushing even further, "I can't believe you sometimes!"

            Serena stood up and walked over to her friend, draping her arm around Mina's shoulders and nudging her cheek with her hand.  "At least tell me he's cute," she prodded, a conspiratorial tone in her voice.

            Mina closed her eyes and sighed aloud.  She knew that she'd never leave unless she told Serena and Lita the truth about what she was going to be doing.  She turned away from both of them and spoke in a quiet voice.

            "Well…he _is_ cute…"

            The other two girls stayed in their positions, totally rapt in their friend's words.

            "Go on," Lita added, leaning forward slightly.

            "I don't know that much about him, really," she continued, smiling sheepishly at her friends as they dropped forward onto the floor, "All I do know is that his mother bought the house down the street from me, and he's not from around here.  I think he might be American, but he doesn't have an accent…"

            "Mmm-hmm," Serena thought aloud, "Is he tall, dark, and totally mysterious?"

            "Not exactly.  He's a little bit weird, but it's a cool kind of weird, you know?  I'm supposed to meet him at my house so I can show him around a little."

            "So is it a date?" Lita chimed in.

            "No!" Mina blurted, looking angrily at Lita, "I just met the guy!  I hardly even know him!"

            "Hmm…we might have to tag along and see just how this new guy is," Serena mused.

            Mina slid into her shoes and picked her backpack up, walking to the door.  As she opened it, she paused, then turned around, fire in her eyes. 

            "If I see either of you following me, I'll totally kill you!" she huffed, exiting Serena's house.

=============================

                Joseph arrived at her house with precious few minutes to spare.  He re-adjusted his shades and found a comfortable spot to lean against as he waited for Mina to show up.  He didn't have to wait long, thankfully, for he casually glanced up the sidewalk and saw his quarry running toward him at top speed.  

            Mina came to a stop just a few feet away from him, huffing and puffing like she just ran the Boston Marathon.  After a few moments of her breathing extremely shallowly, she managed to straighten up and wave to him in greeting.

            "Hi!" she started, "Sorry I'm late, but I had to meet up with a few of my friends after school and I kinda lost track of time."

            "Not a problem," he replied, giving her a small smile, "I just got done with some business of my own at the local school and I've only been standing here about a minute."

            "Really?  What did you have to do?"

            "Nothing much.  Just register to complete the remainder of school I need to finish off my current year."

            "What year are you in?" she asked, thinking, *I wonder if he's talking about Juban…he doesn't look _that_ old…maybe he's in my grade!*

            "Completing senior year," he answered, glancing at his watch, "So are we gonna go, or what?"

            *Darn,* she thought, "Oh, yeah.  Just let me ditch my backpack, ok?"

            He waited patiently as she ran up to her house and disappeared inside.  A few minutes later, she returned, having changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of dark slacks with an oversized blue sweater.  She carried a small purse at her side, from which she produced a key and locked the front door.  Turning to him, she shrugged her shoulders and took his arm, saying:

            "C'mon.  Let's go!"

=============================

            *God, I'll bet this looks really weird,* he thought, walking along with Mina leading him around by the wrist.

            In the past hour, she had taken him along what seemed to be no less than twenty streets, all crowded with various specialty shops that catered to one particular taste or another.  Each one that had interested her she merely paused in front of, scanning the inside for anything that caught her eye.  To her friends, Mina had all the prerequisite skills of a professional shopper: good eyesight, quick reflexes, and an uncanny ability to track down a sale, no matter how far away or well disguised it may be.  To Joseph she seemed like an average teenage girl mall rat, cut loose in a city full of cute shops and café's.

            And he disliked mall rats.

            "I really appreciate this," he said to her, looking in the window of a clothes shop, "But I'm getting kind of tired from all this running and looking.  Is there anywhere nearby that we can sit down for a minute?"

            She pulled herself away from the window as his words sunk in.  Involuntarily, she pouted her lips as she thought of the nearest place they could sit and relax for a bit.  After a few moments, she snapped her fingers and her expression brightened beyond its already well-developed shine.

            "I know the perfect place!" she exclaimed, grabbing him by the wrist again, "There's a new juice bar opening in the mall, and it's only a block away.  Let's go!"

            He tried to ignore the urge to scream as she yanked him toward their destination.

=============================

            "How does the expression go? 'What's a guy you like doing in a place like this one?'"

            "Don't you mean 'What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?'" he corrected.

            "That's what I said," she replied, eliciting a small groan from Joseph.  "Anyway, what's the deal?  What brings you to my little corner of Japan?"

            "Your little corner?  I didn't see your name on it," he quipped, "And the reason I'm here is because my mother got a transfer from the States.  Apparently the marketing division for some big corporation needed a massive overhaul, and they called in my mom, the miracle worker."

            "Really?  What's your father do?" she inquired.

            "My dad?  He occupies a small box about six feet under."

            It took a second before she understood his remark.  "Oh, jeez.  I'm sorry, I…"

            "Nah.  You didn't know," he said, waving her off with one hand, "Not your fault.  But enough about me.  Tell me something about yourself.  What school are you in?"

            "I'm at Juban Junior High School," she stated, "And I'm in 7th grade.  I lived in Britain for a while before coming here to Japan, but I like it all just the same."

            "That would explain the mixed accent," he observed, "How about your family?"

            Mina paused for a minute to take a long drink from her fruit smoothie before replying.  "My mother and father work nearly all the time, which means I don't get to see them very much, but it's okay.  I have a lot more freedom than other girls my age, and that makes up for it."

            "Mind if I ask you a slightly more personal question?" he said.

            "Sure."

            "What in the hell caused you to trust a complete stranger and be so kind as to offer to show them around an unfamiliar city?"

            His blunt question, coupled with the perfectly casual way he posed the question caught her completely off guard.  She sat there for a few moments, drinking her smoothie and thinking carefully before answering him.

            "I know what it feels like to be the outsider," she quietly responded, "And I don't like seeing that happen to people."

            "Hmm.  You're one of those people that like to be friends with everyone, aren't you?"

            "What if I am?" she snapped.

            "What if you are," he mused, "From where I come from, people like you are in extremely short supply.  In public schools, you normally don't see the good-looking, blond, preppie girls freely associating with everyone."

            "I think I'll take that as a compliment," she said, keeping her voice even.

            Suddenly, before either one of them could say another word, a nearby store in the mall exploded, propelling shards of glass and chunks of furniture into the crowd.  Joseph instantly lunged from his seat, grabbing Mina by the hand and yanking her to the floor, falling behind a sturdy-looking ceramic planter.  Once they were on the floor, an animalistic howl could be heard echoing around the mall.

            "Stay down," he whispered to her, sliding to the left.  Joseph carefully looked around the corner of the planter, scanning the immediate area.  Inhaling shallowly several times, his mind was flooded with a sensory overload.  The air reeked of spilled blood, adrenaline, burning wood and plastic, and a large _something_ that he couldn't identify.

            "Jesus Christ," he swore softly, rising into a crouching position.  "Mina, are you alright?"

            When he received no response, he turned around to where he had left her.  All he saw was a purse, the contents of which were spilled across the floor.

=============================

                "Come in, you guys!  This is an emergency!" she hissed, charging for the nearest women's bathroom.  The small communicator in her hand beeped twice, then sparked and fizzled out.

            "Great," she moaned, "I'm gonna have to talk to Amy about her making these more durable."

            She threw the door open and ran inside the restroom.  After quickly checking the stalls, Mina stepped inside the cleanest one and pulled her transformation wand out, holding it high above her head and shouting:

            "VENUS POWER!!"

            A dazzling light show and a few choreographed transformation moves later, Mina had changed into her alter ego, Sailor Venus!  She kicked the door open and made her way back out into the mall, heading straight for the source of the blast.  Once there, she stepped cautiously around the piles of smoldering wreckage and unconscious bodies.

            "High heels were definitely not made for this kind of work," she muttered, trying to avoid falling for the third time in a row, "I think I got shortchanged on this Sailor Scout deal…"

            When she stepped through what once had been the storefront, she instantly saw what had caused the explosion.  A large, purple colored _thing_ was hunched over in the store, a thick, meaty hand wrapped around a squirming human.  Its other hand was a wooden lance, ending at what would have been the wrist.  A shock of red hair sprang up from the back of its head, hanging down its back.  The face was the closest thing the creature had to being human, with an overly pleased look adorning it.

            Sailor Venus saw the human's struggling begin to weaken, and judging by the creature's laughter, she deduced that it was draining his energy.

            "Hold it right there, Nega-Trash!" she shouted, pointing a finger at the offending beast.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Mall Madness

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming.  This fanfic is mine, however, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay.

=====================================================================

Discarded Souls

By Darkslayer

Chapter 4

Mall Madness

=============================

            The monster didn't seem all that interested in heeding her order, so it did the next most natural thing it could think of.

            It threw the largest object it could at her.

            "AHHHH!" Sailor Venus cried out, barely dodging the desk.  It flew past her and crashed through the railing on the 2nd floor, splintering into nothing.

            "That was too close," she thought aloud, slowly rising to her feet.  She turned back toward her foe to see it charging directly at her.  Before she could move, the creature swung forward with its lance, catching her in the stomach and flinging out of the store and against the steel railing.  Venus connected with the metal beam with a sick crunching sound and slumped to the ground, stunned for a moment.

            *Got to get up…* she groaned in her mind, *It's coming back…*

            A moment was all the creature needed.  It rushed forward and raised its bayonet, bringing it down with incredible force.  As the point of the gigantic skewer was mere inches from her head, Sailor Venus came out of her stupor and threw herself to the left.  The weapon connected with the railing, splintering apart, as the creature roared with pain and frustration.

            She rolled and came up into a crouching position, whirling around and aiming a finger at the monster.  Its arm was already mending itself, creating another lance to replace the first, as the thing was heading toward her slowly.  It raised the newly formed weapon and leveled it at her, just as her attack was coming from her lips.

            "VENUS…"

            It growled and thrust forward with its arm, charging forward.

            "CRESCENT…"

            It was only a short distance away and closing fast.

            "BEAM…"

            In a move that seemed to take place in slow motion, the javelin from its arm separated and flew towards her as the final word was uttered.

            "SMASH!!!"

            The golden beam of light erupted from the tip of her finger, moving just a split second faster than the javelin.  It narrowly missed the hurtling object, striking instead at the creature's feet and creating a giant hole in the floor.  The monster didn't even have time to howl before it fell through to the first floor, cratering as it hit the ceramic tile below.

            Her victory was short-lived, however, as the nearly forgotten projectile flew at her head.  Knowing that she would never be able to move in time, Sailor Venus gave her best effort, barely twisting out of the path of the object, but not far enough to prevent it from glancing off her skull.  The effect was perfectly clear as soon as the weapon passed completely by.  A deep crimson gash appeared as she fell to the floor, a glazed look coming over her eyes.  Luckily enough for her, she lost consciousness as she collapsed, sparing herself from the pain.

=============================

            He sniffed the air again.  The thing, whatever it was, was very close indeed.  As he rounded a corner, he heard a loud explosion followed by what sounded like a heavy object falling from a great height.  Joseph sprinted toward the sound and stopped at the second floor railing, eying the scene below.

            His unnaturally keen eyes saw through the minor dust cloud that was slowly dissipating, and what he saw was unreal.  A large creature with hideous features lay sprawled on the floor, in the middle of an impact crater.  Looking about, he saw no signs of anyone else being in the area except for the half-dead bodies around him.  With the grace of a cat, he stepped onto the railing and launched himself toward one of the colorful banners dangling from the ceiling.  Joseph caught it and slid down quickly, hitting the ground floor with almost no audible sound.

            He cautiously made his way over to where the beast lay.

            *The motherfucker's still breathing, that's for damn sure,* he thought as he eyed the body warily.

            Suddenly, without warning, the thing scrambled to its feet; loosing a bellow so foul it rattled the remaining windows in the immediate area.  Joseph instinctively backpedaled, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet and bringing up his arms to fend off attack.  The creature hunched forward, sniffing the air, then turned toward him.

            Howling at the top of its lungs, it charged, hands outstretched.

            Joseph leapt up as the creature came within arm's reach and delivered a solid kick to the thing's jaw, knocking it off balance.  As he came back down, he fell into a crouch and swept the monster's legs out from underneath it.  It hit the floor as he rolled back and up into a relaxed fighting stance, awaiting the next move.

            He didn't have to wait long, as the creature quickly got to its feet again and charged once more, swinging with blind rage.  He bobbed and weaved, dodging every blow as if it were too slow to even think about blocking.  The monster overextended itself on the next thrust, leaving it wide open for a counterattack.  Joseph smiled and laid into it with a bone-crunching punch that sent the monster flying.

            As it forcibly retreated, it leveled its spear-arm at Joseph and let the javelin fly.  The teenager leapt forward, directly into the path of the projectile, a single hand outstretched, almost as if he intended to catch it.  Strangely enough, when the javelin did connect with the palm of his hand, something unusual occurred.

            The wooden missile shattered into tiny splinters.

            He landed in a crouch just a dozen feet away from the fallen beast.  Rising slowly, he looked directly into the eyes of his enemy as the change began.  Joseph's eyes blinked once, then widened as an ashen cloudiness swirled over the iris, rendering the entire eye completely white.  His mouth opened slightly, showcasing a pair of slowly elongating canines that barely overlapped his lower teeth.  The only other visible change was the skin on his hands.  It seemed to ripple for a moment, then slowly turned gray and began to harden.  His fingers lengthened slightly and became razor-sharp, forming a pair of deadly claws.

            As the monster was getting back up, he rushed it, leaping through the air and swiping with his right claw.  Joseph's aim was true, and the thing's head neatly detached from the rest of its neck and hit the floor, rolling until it hit the wall.  When his feet touched the floor again, the creature's body exploded into a fine powder, raining down on the bodies of the unconscious people.  He rose slowly, extending a hand to catch a few specks of the luminescent dust.

            "Strange…" he murmured, dusting his hand off, "Never seen a demon do that before."

            A loud groan nearby caught his attention.  He walked over to the sound, dismissing his claws as quickly as they had appeared.  The source was a middle-aged man, lying under a bit of rubble from the second floor.  A second moaning sound was soon joined by a third, and he marveled at the strange actions of the victims.

            *A demon cuts loose, explodes into God knows what when it dies, and its victims are mysteriously unharmed?  What is wrong with this picture?* he thought, moving away quickly.

=============================

            "Unhh…" Venus moaned.  She held a hand to her head, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her.  When the world stopped spinning around, she slowly got to her feet, using the railing as a brace.  Looking around, she saw no signs of the monster, but instead, its victims waking up and becoming aware of their surroundings.

            "Looks like it's gone," she thought aloud, "And I'd better do the same, before they notice me."

            Sailor Venus sprinted past the waking victims, heading toward the same bathroom she changed in.  As she flew by, a dozen questions were racing through her head.  She entered the restroom and de-transformed, resuming her normal guise.  When she exited, the first thing she heard was a familiar voice calling out her name.

            "Mina!  Where are you?"

            Walking toward the source of the sound, she smiled sheepishly and gave a small wave, calling to him.  "Joseph!  I'm over here."

            He turned around and closed the distance between them more quickly than she would have anticipated.  Placing a hand on her shoulder, he looked into her eyes and asked her, "You alright?"

            "I'm fine," she replied, "I…just had to…you know…"

            "I see.  Well, I'm just glad to see you're okay.  I think we should get the hell out of here while this place is still standing."

            "Point taken," Mina agreed, "Let's go."

            For some strange reason, he thought she agreed a little too readily.

=============================

            They didn't stop walking until they reached her front door.

            "Well today has been very interesting!" she blurted, digging for something to say.

            "It certainly has," Joseph replied, leaning against one side of the doorframe, "Especially the tour portion."

            "Yeah…" Mina trailed.

            "Alright then.  I'll just end this awkward silence by saying that I had as great a time as any, and maybe we can do it again sometime.  Hopefully without the explosions and mayhem."

            "Agreed," she sighed, extending her hand.

            He took it with his right, and, in one extremely smooth motion, bowed forward and lightly kissed the back of her hand.  Winking at her, he rose slowly and started down the sidewalk.  She stood there, blushing slightly and breathless for a few moments before calling to him.

            "Sometime _soon_!"

=============================

            When he closed the door to his house, he brought his hand to his forehead and shook his head, laughing.

            "Joseph, you are one twisted fuck, you know that?" he asked himself.

            Silently, he made his way into the kitchen, where he rummaged around in a cupboard for a few minutes.  Joseph finally removed a thick glass tumbler, setting it down on the edge of the table before opening the freezer.  He dropped a few ice cubes into the tumbler, pouring a liberal amount of scotch from an unmarked bottle that had been hidden in the kitchen previously.  Lifting the glass, he was about to drink when he saw the note.

            _Joseph-_

_            Hey, kiddo._  (He frowned at this.)_  If you're reading this note, I've yet to return from work.  The division heads over here have their heads up their asses, and the company's relying on me to help clean their mess up.  It's probably gonna take a few weeks before I have this group whipped into shape, and that means a lot of late nights.  I'm sorry I can't be there for dinner tonight, but I did leave some money in the cash jar if you want something.  If you need anything, just call my cell phone.  The number's on the fridge.  I'll try to be home ASAP, okay?_

_                                                                                                -Your Loving Mother_

            He felt the guilt creeping back again.  Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he walked into the living room, bottle and tumbler in tow, and flopped on the plush couch.  Picking up the remote, he turned the television on and scanned the channels for a news station.  Upon finding one, he set the remote down and took a tentative sip of the scotch.

            "…and in other news today, another sighting involving the mysterious Sailor Moon was reported from the Juban district, in a local mall.  Eyewitnesses claim that a girl, dressed in a sailor-like uniform appeared out of nowhere when a series of explosions occurred.  Other witnesses to the event claim that a 'monster' caused these explosions, and the girl attempted to fight it off.  While we are unable to substantiate any of these claims, we do have a partial clip from a security camera of what happened at the mall earlier today…"

            Joseph sat up.  He leaned forward with the remote, turning the volume up and taking another sip of the strong alcohol.

            The video that played was in black and white, as is the case with most security systems, and a little fuzzy.  These minor challenges provided no serious threat to the shocking content of the video, which in itself was hard to believe.  He saw himself staring down the creature from earlier, launching an attack at its lumbering form, and slicing its head off neatly before static from some source fried the tape.  

            "Police are conducting a search for the unidentified individuals in the film.  They believe that this was all a plot of a cult or doomsday group to grab attention for themselves.  We are currently awaiting the spokesperson for the department heading up the investigation, and …"

            He punched the television off.  Reaching forward to set the glass down on the coffee table, he saw the front section of a newspaper laying on the tabletop.  Picking it up, he scanned the headlines, picking through the usual day to day stories until he saw a medium-sized byline on the second page.

            'Mall Madness: Another Sailor Moon Sighting'

            "Jesus fucking Christ!" he sighed, chucking the paper onto the table.  "What is with this city?"

============================= 

            Mina walked through the foyer to her house, dropping her purse on a nearby chair, and made a beeline for the bathroom.  She turned on a light that was next to the sink and peeled her hair back from her skull, wincing as she felt small shocks of pain streak along her temple.  An angry dark red line ran from her temple to the top of her ear, a jagged line of dried blood caked around it.  Gritting her teeth, she took a towel, dampened it with hot water, and began to rub the wound.

            A dozen screams of pain and a throbbing head later, she tenderly patted the wound dry with a clean towel and threw it away.  The last thing she did was take several pain reliever tablets and down them as quickly as possible with a glass of water.  She walked all the way down the hall and to the stairs that led to the second floor of her house.  Climbing them was a task in itself, but she eventually made her way to her room, where she promptly collapsed on her bed, moaning into her pillow.

            "Problems?" asked a male voice.

            "I really don't feel like talking about it right now, Artemis," she replied, rolling onto her left side, "It's that stupid Negaverse again."

            "You fought a monster today?" the feline replied, walking to her side, "Why didn't you call for the others?"

            "Two reasons.  One, the stupid communicator doesn't exactly work right after you fall on it.  Two, refer to answer one."

            "There's no need for sarcasm, Mina.  We're a team, remember?  You could have gotten severely hurt or worse."

_            "Does this look like a severe injury to you?!"_ she barked, lifting her hair up.

            "What happened?" he asked, "Give me the details."

            Artemis sat there in silent disbelief as she related the afternoon's events to him.  His facial expressions varied from attentively listening to mild concern to complete shock in a matter of minutes.

            "And it just disappeared?  No traces of it whatsoever?"

            "I didn't see it anywhere, and everybody was waking up, so I decided to get the heck out of there.  Is there a problem with a strategic retreat?"

            "Nothing you did was wrong, Mina, except for at least trying to call one of the others.  But that's not the problem.  What bothers me is that the monster they sent suddenly vanished."

            "Yeah.  That is kind of unusual, considering their usual plan of attacking us until Serena destroys them."

            "I'll have to confer with Luna tomorrow when we have our meeting," Artemis thought aloud, his tail swishing back and forth, "But for now, why don't you get some rest.  That's a nasty gash on your head, and you're gonna need to be at your fullest, just in case."

            "Oh, alright," she sighed, walking over to her closet, "I am feeling kinda sleepy, anyway."

            As he walked to the door, he called back to her, "Be sure to have Amy check on that tomorrow.  I doubt you want to go to your family doctor with an unexplained slash on your temple."

            She slipped into a pair of pajamas, silently agreeing with the cat's advice, and shut the closet door.  Mina walked across the padded carpet, a near silent scratching sound accompanying her every footstep, and hopped into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chest.  She lay back, staring at the ceiling for a while, before allowing her mind to wander.  Her thoughts eventually came to Joseph, and she felt a small smile creeping across her face as she pictured his cobalt eyes and silver hair.

            "He IS cute…" she thought, drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Feel The Burn

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming.  This fanfic is mine, however, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay.

=====================================================================

Discarded Souls

By Darkslayer

Chapter 5

Feel the Burn

=============================

            He woke up before the first few thin rays of light broke over the horizon.  Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he swung off the bed and onto the cold floor.  Walking to the adjacent bathroom, he splashed water onto his face and ran his hands through his hair.  Joseph removed his toothbrush and began to clean his teeth, paying special attention to the twin fangs that slowly extended into his mouth.  After he was done, he went back to his room and rummaged around in his closet for a few moments, exiting with a pair of loose black sweat pants and a sleeveless hooded sweatshirt.

            He made his way downstairs, checking on his mother along the way, and walked out the front door into the crisp morning air.  Stretching his arms, he started off the steps of his house at a loose pace, heading down the street.  Before Joseph knew it, he had placed over a block between himself and his house, and that was increasing steadily by the minute.

            "Hey there!" called a voice.

            Joseph slowed down, looking over his shoulder toward the source of the sound.  A girl, dressed in a dark green sweatshirt and blue leggings, was running a few feet behind him.  When she caught up, he noticed she was considerably taller than he first saw, and somewhat leaner looking, too.

            "Didn't anybody ever tell you that it's not exactly a good idea to talk to strangers?" he asked, falling into her pace.

            "That's why I called to you," she replied, her breath making small clouds in the cold air, "I've never seen you in this neighborhood before."

            "Just got here two days ago," he answered, "Why, is it a crime for newcomers to exercise in your area?"

            Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.  "Not the last time I checked.  Speaking of which, where did you say you moved in?"

            Joseph chuckled.  *Nosey little tart....probably the head of the local neighborhood watch or something.*  "Well, if you must know, I'm assuming it's about a city block in the opposite direction of where we're heading.  Roughly, that is."

            She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow.  "Do you normally like to run large distances in the morning, Mr.-?"

            "Joseph.  Joseph Miller.  And I normally like to do about two to four miles about three times a week.  May I have the pleasure of knowing your name as well?"

            "Lita," she said, slightly taken aback by his response, "Lita Makoto."

            "Well, Lita, no one told me that the surrounding neighborhoods had other girls as good looking as you are.  Tell me, what's your secret?"

            She relaxed slightly at the compliment.  "Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Miller."

            "Then what am I going to have to do to get some answers out of you?" he shot back, pushing ahead of her slightly.

            "You'll have to beat me in a race," she blurted out, "If you win, I'll answer your questions."  
  


            "And if I lose?"

            "I'll think of something."

            "I don't think that's a very fair match," he replied nonchalantly.

            "Oh?  Tiring already?"

            "Nope.  I haven't even broken a sweat yet and you're beginning to wheeze a little."

            Lita smirked.  "We'll see.  Ready?  Go!"

            She burst into a sprint and pulled ahead of him, her legs pumping hard to propel her even faster.  After a few moments, she opened her eyes again and decided to look back at her opponent.  Lita glanced over her shoulder and, surely enough, saw no sign of him.  Her victory seeming eminent, she slowed her pace slightly so she wouldn't tire too quickly.

            "Giving up so soon?" called a voice.

            Whipping her head around, she saw that Joseph was ahead of her by several strides and going at what looked like a leisurely gait.  He waved to her as the shock wore off, and turned around, jogging forward.

            "Not today, sucker," she said under her breath.  Lita had a serious competitive streak in her, and it was just beginning to manifest itself.

            Taking a deep breath, she broke into another sprint, pushing herself even harder than she did before, feeling a slight amount of strain as she did so.  Trees and signs seemed to fly by her as she sped off, her feet seeming to just brush the ground as she ran.  Smiling to herself, she focused on the sidewalk ahead of her, watching it rush by.  Eventually, she looked behind her again, her curiosity getting the better of her, and was relieved to see no trace of Joseph.

            "Come on, slowpoke!  Are you trying or not?"

            Lita received another shock when she checked the area ahead of her.  Surely enough, he was there, and just a few strides' distance from her.  His face relayed no signs of fatigue or exertion, and he appeared to be moving with the same ease that he had been earlier.  Gritting her teeth, she called to him.

            "That's it!  You're going down now!" she screamed.

            Pouring every last ounce of effort and strength into her sprint, she _felt_ the world zoom by as she flew down the sidewalk.  Her legs burned with their exertion and her lungs seemed to be aflame as every cell in her body fought to move faster.  The sounds of the neighborhood seemed to disappear, only to be replaced with a low pounding sound that emanated from her head.  Opening her eyes once more, she saw that he was no longer in front of her, but was slowing down, calling to her.  She shut her lids once more, a smile creeping across her face as she knew that she won the race.

            "I hope they sell Wheaties here in Japan, because if they don't…"

            Lita opened her eyes again; this time he was beside her, that impish smirk still riding high on his countenance.  Half gasping, half sighing, she slowed her pace until they had stopped on the sidewalk.

            "Just who in the hell are you?" she bluntly asked, resting her hands upon her knees.

            "Jesse Owens' illegitimate son," Joseph joked, "They say I'm built just like my daddy…"

            "Oh knock it off," she replied, standing back up and crossing her arms, "Seriously.  I've never seen somebody move that fast—you aren't even out of breath!"

            "Like I said," he shrugged, "I like to run long distances.  Keeps me all nice and trim."

            "Well then, what about our little wager?"

            "Tell you what.  You answer my questions over breakfast.  I'm in need of a serious caffeine fix, and you could probably use some energy after that workout."

            "Alright," she acquiesced, "But you're paying."

=============================

            "......."

            "What?"

            "_That's what passes for _breakfast_ over here?" he asked, setting his coffee down._

            "Yeah.  What's the problem with it?" she answered, placing the bowl down.

            Joseph looked at the display before her, shaking his head in resignation.  A bowl of steaming miso soup stood next to a slightly larger bowl of rice, over which sat a raw egg that was slowly seeping through the white pasta.  To her left sat a small plate of spinach, topped with several slices of what seemed to be grilled salmon.

            "Give me a cup of coffee and a couple of glazed any day over _that_," he chuckled.

            "Doughnuts?  What kind of breakfast is that?" she sighed, digging into her rice.

            "Hey, several million customers can't be wrong," he replied, drinking his coffee.

            "Yechh.  I can't see eating something that sickeningly sweet for breakfast; it's--it's just gross!"

            "I _know I didn't just hear you diss on Krispy Kreme," he warned, a smirk on his face._

            "Whatever," Lita replied, obviously wanting to avoid another confrontation, "So tell me a little about yourself, Mr. Miller."

            "Just call me Joseph; everyone I know does," he spoke, leaning back, "And where do you want me to begin?"

            "Why'd you move into the neighborhood?"

            "My mother got relocated to a branch office over here after my father died," Joseph said nonchalantly, "And I came with.  Always wanted to see Japan this time of year, anyway."

            "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't know."

            "Not your fault," he rebuked, "Besides, he didn't suffer."

            As his words sank in, she couldn't help but remember the cold, icy feeling of losing someone you loved.  Her parents...

            "Are you okay?"

            She snapped out of the flashback.  "Of...course.  Why?"

            "You zoned for a minute.  Hope I didn't stick my foot in my mouth there..."

            "No," she replied, finishing the last remains of her breakfast, "I'm done.  Let's go."

=============================

            There was an uncomfortable silence as they walked back to Lita's house, so Joseph decided to break it.

            "What were they like?"

            "What?"

            "Your parents.  What were they like?"

            She stopped in her tracks.  Turning towards him, Lita expected a look of suspicion from Joseph, but found herself looking into a pair of sad, cobalt eyes.  She took a deep breath, gathering her will, and calmly replied.

            "I don't remember that much about my parents.  I wasn't that old when they....passed away."

            "I'm sorry," he apologized, "No one should have to lose their loved ones."

            "No," Lita agreed, "They shouldn't."

            "So what school do you go to?" Joseph inquired, changing the subject.

            "Juban Junior High," she answered offhandedly, "Next year I'll be taking high school entrance exams."

            "Juban?  Hmm....do you know someone named Mina?"

            "Yes.  She's one of my friends.  Why do you ask?" Lita said.

            "I met her the day I got here.  She's....an interesting person.  Especially when it comes to the world of malls and department stores," he commented, a hand on the back of his head.

            "You didn't let her talk you into shopping with her, did you?"

            Joseph lowered his head in response.

            "It's a wonder you survived," she laughed, "Even I can't keep up with her when she's in a frenzy to shop."

            They laughed for a few moments before Lita turned toward the apartment building they had stopped in front of.

            "Well, here's my house," she sighed, extending a hand, "It was nice to run with you, Joseph."

            "If every time is that interesting, we may have to make a habit of it," he replied, shaking her hand.

=============================

            The woman sat upon her throne with a scathing glare upon her pale countenance.  She caressed a glowing orb that hovered just in front of her, peering into its swirling abyss.  A series of images suddenly flashed across the globe, showing the woman places, people and various other things.  When it had finished, she looked up from the object and at the man that waited, kneeling at the steps to her throne.

            "Prince Darien," she purred, "Report."

            "My Queen, your plan is working perfectly.  Although we lost the soldier at the mall, two of your other minions were able to gather a substantial amount of energy from the unsuspecting humans."

            "It is not enough!" she hissed, rising quickly, "This subterfuge is taking too long!  We must find a large amount of humans and rip their energy from them in one quick blow!"

            "If I may make a suggestion, Queen Beryl?" asked a voice.

            She turned to the shadows on her left, her eyes narrowing as she picked out a familiar form.  "What do you have to add, Malachite?"

            "I have an idea.  Apparently, tomorrow night, there will be a gathering called a 'rave' by the humans.  This 'rave' will take place in one of the abandoned warehouses along the south pier.  If you give me several of your soldiers, I would be able to attack the humans before they knew what happened, gathering a large amount of energy for the Negaforce."

            "You are sure of this?" she asked, her eyes shining.

            "As sure as you are the rightful ruler of the universe, my Queen."

            "So be it.  You will have the finest soldiers you can find.  Make your preparations as needed, Malachite.  But be warned, for if you fail me in this attempt, I will not be pleased."

            "I will not fail, my Queen."

            Darien scowled at the exchange.  He couldn't let Malachite upstage him and win Beryl's favor--he just couldn't!  But he had to wait, for the formalities dealing with his queen and Malachite forbade him from interrupting their dialogue.  He wouldn't wait for tomorrow.  His move would have to be tonight, and with even less of a meager force than his rival begged for.

            He hated scraps.

End of Chapter 5


	6. Party Time

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming.  This fanfic is mine, however, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay.

================================================================

Discarded Souls

By Darkslayer

Chapter 6

Party Time

=============================

            He caught the flyer as a cool breeze flung it towards him, plucking it out of the air and looking at the faded type.  

            "A rave, eh?  Hmm…been a while since I've hit one of those.."

            Shrugging, he stuffed the flyer into his pocket, continuing to walk home.  When he got there, Joseph let himself in, snatching up the note that he had expected on the wall, skimming the contents.  His mother had to work late.  _Again_.  Crumpling the paper up, he threw it into the nearest basket as he strolled over to the computer, turning it on in one fluid motion and grabbing a seat.  When the system had loaded up, he signed into his favorite chat room and searched for a name.

            A window popped up before he was done.  "GanjaGoddess?  But we only took that trip to Amsterdam a year ago…"

            How's the grass back stateside, Smokey? he typed.

            Ha ha.  You know how much hacking I had to do to get this name?

            Don't know; don't want to know.  If you wanna piggyback into some government sites and porno pages, feel free.

            Joseph laughed at the sudden deluge of inventive curses that swamped his screen.  When she calmed down somewhat, he thought for a moment, typing his mind's view on the keyboard.

            Just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna be hitting a rave tonight, so don't wait up.

            Hmm…always wanted to know how the other countries did it.  Let me know if the Japs are big X freaks like the good ol' boys over here.

            Will do.  Gotta go now—I need to find some glow sticks before I hit it.

            He signed off, turning the computer off as well.  Walking over to the stairs, he quickly ascended to the second floor and made a beeline for his closet.  Opening the door, he rifled through his clothes until he found his 'rave gear'.  It basically consisted of a bright yellow shirt, black cargo pants, a pair of sleek blue-lens sunglasses and flexible boots.  Slipping into them rather quickly, he pulled a wallet connected to a chain off of a nearby shelf and attached it to his belt, dropping it into a side pocket.  Ruffling his hair, he checked his look in a hallway mirror before bounding down the stairs and out the front door, heading for the nearest novelty shop he could remember.

            Joseph heard the thumping music long before he laid sight on the old warehouse.  Looking around, he checked the faded address on the worn pier tower, and confirmed his assumption.  He walked confidently up to the warehouse, giving the bouncer a once-over as he casually extended a hand in the man's direction.  The bouncer stiffened momentarily, then extended a meaty palm of his own, connecting with Joseph's and concealing the money before anyone could lay eyes on the bills.  He paused for a moment, sliding the cash into a pocket, then banged on the door in an easily recognizable manner.

            "Party's inside," he barked, thumbing at the doorway.

            Joseph walked past the man, down a long, narrow hallway that suddenly ended in the middle of a giant dance floor.  Strobe lights and smoke machines abounded, adding to the atmosphere as hundreds of bodies moved and pulsated in tune with the music.  He wandered to the nearest set of stairs and quickly ascended, smacking away a clumsy attempt by someone to steal his necklace.  

            Once on the second floor, he slipped into the crowd, moving fluidly as he broke out two glowsticks and ignited them.  Dark purple light emanated from the sticks as the vampire lost himself in the rhythm, dancing and whipping them about.  The momentary bliss was all too soon interrupted by the end of the music set, and he found himself in the midst of a small group of ravers, all of which were eying him as he finished.  Numerous nods of appreciation, along with a few whistles and cheers followed the split second of silence, and he took a bow, excusing himself to the nearest bar in search of something to drink.  He shouted an order to the bartender, then whipped his hand back to his pocket, where he caught someone trying to lift his wallet.

            "Sticky fingers, eh?" he chuckled, turning to the thief.  She had short blue hair and was clad in all black, looking very surprised as he forcibly sat her down on the stool next to him.

            "Let go!" the girl blurted, trying to wrench her arm free, "I wasn't doing anything!"

            "Bullshit," Joseph smiled, turning to the bartender and gesturing towards the girl, "Make hers a double."

            The woman poured another cocktail and slid it to the blue-haired girl, taking Joseph's money and disappearing once more behind the bar.  He slammed the shot, savoring the burning sensation as it slid down his throat, then turned back to the girl.

            "Drink it.  I didn't lace it with GHB or anything."

            She broke her silence and slammed the glass, wiping her mouth when she had finished.  "Not bad."

            "So what's your name?" he asked.

            "…Oni," the girl replied after a moment.

            "Like the famous manga artist, eh?  Everybody wants to copy her in one form or another over here, I guess.  So why did you try to rip me off?"

            "Why do you think?" she blurted back, "I needed the money."

            "You could have just asked me," he nonchalantly replied, a smile playing on his lips, "I might have considered giving it to you."

            "Look, are you gonna turn me in or what?" she snapped, "I don't have all night."

            "Fine.  Take these and stay the fuck away from my wallet, little girl, or I may just drag you down to the nearest police station and add underage drinking to the list, got it?"

            Before she could reply, he shoved a pair of unused glow sticks into her hands and quickly disappeared back into the crowd.  As she looked more closely at the sticks, she noticed a hundred dollar bill tightly folded in between them.  Quickly scanning the area, she once again found no trace of the mysterious man, and pocketed the money, blending back into the crowd once more.

            Joseph went back out onto the floor, mingling with the throng of people, pulling out the glowsticks he had used earlier, and began to dance once more.  He managed to last through a number of sets this time, and was really beginning to enjoy himself when the explosion hit.

            All of a sudden, the chaotic movement of the people on the dance floor turned into the true frenzy of a terrified mass.  The upper ceiling supports began to groan as large segments of the roof collapsed, crashing to the floor below.  The people that escaped the falling debris were soon met with the problem of too many bodies in one small space—individuals left and right began to fall under the pressure of the crowd.  The humans were too disoriented to notice the dark form that glided through the remnants of the roof, wisps of energy slowly snaking from his body to the people below.

            Malachite laughed at the ease of this plan.  The humans were too distracted with trying to find a way out of the warehouse to notice that they were dropping left and right as his energy crystal grew in power.  This was his kind of task—easy, but not too easy.

            He was understandably surprised when the lead pipe connected with his back.

            "Hey asshole!" cried a voice, "What in the fuck do you think you're doing?"

            Malachite turned around, looking for the owner of the voice.  The last of the humans had cleared out, and there was a lone form on the ground, holding a section of pipe, screaming at him.  As his eyes narrowed, he issued forth a reply.

            "I have no time for your worthless taunts, human.  Begone."

            He extended his hands towards Joseph and blasted a bolt of dark energy at the vampire.  It connected, throwing him across the room and into a concrete wall, where his outline was impacted into the wall as he slowly fell out of it.  He sprawled on the ground for a few moments, the ringing in his head slowly ebbing away as his thoughts came back to him.

            *Nice going Joseph,* he told himself, *Piss the guy off first, then fight him…*

            The vampire picked himself up, dusting off the broken concrete and clearing his vision.  He scanned the room quickly, eyes settling on the stranger who had shot him earlier.  The white-haired man was doing something on the other side of the room, and he couldn't see too clearly what it was.  Moving swiftly over the rubble, Joseph silently slid in behind a nearby support column, peeking around it to see what was going on.

            As he watched, the stranger opened what appeared to be a portal, allowing a few shadowy forms through and closing it quickly behind them.  He turned to the huddled group and began to direct them, gesturing to each in a different direction, and then they took off.  After they had gone, he slowly levitated upwards until he was on the third floor, then set down to watch his minions go about their work.

            "Kay, I'm all alone…there's now four of these assholes…ponder, ponder…" he whispered, looking around the warehouse for any advantage he could get.

            A shrill scream from his right distracted the vampire, which made him turn to discover the source of the sound.  One of the creatures had found him, and it was wailing loudly enough to wake the dead, which was more than enough to alert the others, for he quickly found himself surrounded.  Eying them warily, he heard someone call to him from above.

            "You're no ordinary human…interesting," Malachite mused, crossing his arms as he looked Joseph over, "I'll bet your energy will be most invaluable for the Negaforce.  Hold him."

            The creatures leapt forward, each latching onto some part of his body as Malachite drew closer.  A small ebony crystal appeared in his open palm as he extended it towards the vampire, who was watching the entire scene with a mix of surprise and curiosity.  A few smoky wisps of energy floated towards the crystal as it began to slowly drain the ambient energy in the room, just before the general focused it on Joseph.  It felt like an icy hand was reaching around inside of him, trying to grab onto something, but it couldn't find what it was looking for.  He looked back at the white-haired man and watched as his scowl grew until he could contain his displeasure no longer.

            "Why aren't you being drained?" Malachite snapped, his eyes narrowing, "Any human would have been dead by now!"

            That did it.

            Joseph's eyes narrowed dangerously at the man.  "I'm already dead," he snarled, his eyes clouding over.  The vampire formed his bone claws in a split second, and slipped his feet free from the creature holding onto him, delivering a powerful kick to its jaw for its efforts.  Twisting violently, he wrenched his right arm free from one monster and slashed deeply into the other's chest, causing it to let him go.  When he landed on his feet, he crouched instantly, sweeping the wounded creature's feet out from underneath it and ramming both of his fists into its abdomen.  As it clawed at his arms, he twisted his own claws inside of it, just before ripping them out and punching the monster as hard as he could.

            "Deal with him!" Malachite roared, his fists blazing with energy as he levitated once more, stowing the energy crystal safely away.  The other creatures fell in on Joseph and began to quickly attack him with everything they had as the general began to blast the ground around the vampire, barely missing him each time.

=============================

            Meanwhile, as the battle began to rage, a few of the Sailor Scouts, in their human identities, were shopping on a nearby street.  Mina and Serena had just paused to stare at an outfit in a store window, leaving Amy to stand off to the side, looking through a thick book.

            "That would look amazing on you, Mina!"

            The blue-haired girl marked a spot in her book, then shut it and tucked it into her bag.  Turning to where the two girls were gawking, Amy looked at the designer clothing and sighed, shaking her head.  "Why on earth are you leering at that outfit?  Look at how expensive it is, you guys…"

            "Oh come on and let me have my fantasy, Ames," Mina said, shaking a finger at the girl, "Why don't you lose that book and join us for once?"

            "It's just overpriced clothing with a famous designer's name on it," she replied, "What's to get excited about?"

            "This," Serena interrupted, thrusting her communicator into the midst.  The tiny screen flickered and showed a warehouse that had beams of dark energy ripping through the sides, spewing glass and steel everywhere.  The picture jumped for a moment, then turned back to show a picture of Lita holding an arm up so she could see.

            "You guys had better get down here right away!" she loudly spoke, "The rave I was going to go to just went crazy--the Negaverse is attacking it right now!"

            "Hang on, Lita, we'll be right there," Mina answered, "You guys, we'd better get moving."

=============================

            "Jupiter Power!"

            A few moments and a burst of light later, the transformation was done.  Sailor Jupiter stepped out of the alley, heading towards the warehouse.  She kicked in the door and stepped inside, her tiara crackling slightly as she advanced through the gloom.  The sounds of battle could still be heard, and she darted from pillar to pillar, trying to get closer to the sound.  When she had finally gotten close enough to see what was going on, she received a shock.

            Malachite was levitating several feet off the ground and darting about in the air quickly.  His hands were extended, and he was launching blast after blast of energy at a quickly-moving form on the main floor.  Surrounding the shadow were several Negaverse soldiers, all trying in vain to land a hit on the shape.  As she watched, one of the soldiers was dispatched rather gruesomely, as the shape sliced off its head and halved its body.  Blinking twice, she suddenly came out of the trance and stepped forward, calling out to the combatants.

            "Hold it!  I am Sailor Jupiter, and in the name of the planet Jupiter, I will punish you!"

            "Behind you!" cried a voice.

            She instinctively spun around, diving to the side as the youma behind her launched an attack, shattering the concrete where she once stood.  Slashing her arm on some glass as she rolled, Sailor Jupiter aimed her hands and screamed, the pain boosting her magic.

            "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!!"

            A jagged bolt came down through a hole in the ceiling, jolted through her tiara and flew in the direction she was aiming in, catching the monster in a deadly blast.  As the remains of the creature fell to the ground, she got to her feet and ran towards the fight, dodging blow after blow until she finally landed a devastating punch on the nearest soldier, flattening him out instantly.  Malachite, seeing his meager force quickly becoming overwhelmed decided to attack Sailor Jupiter instead, blasting her into a nearby support column, causing her to crumple to the floor.  Just as he raised his hands to deliver the final blow, Joseph sprinted out of the fray and dove for Sailor Jupiter's falling form, barely getting himself out of the way as well.  When he came to a stop, he hefted the not quite conscious girl in his arms and quickly scanned the area for a decent exit.  

            All he could see were the last few soldiers coming at him from all directions, with Malachite just above him, readying another blast.  Cursing under his breath, the vampire leapt over the first attacker and practically flew towards the nearest set of intact stairs.  Once there, he ascended them in record-making time and headed right for the closest window.  Leaping forward, he curled up and somersaulted just far enough for his body to take the brunt of the impact when they hit the pavement below.  They rolled, making a bloody mess of his back and arms, and finally came to a stop a couple dozen feet away from the building.  

            He slid the unconscious girl off of him and onto the pavement, pausing only to make sure she was still breathing.  She was quite tall for her age, with brown hair and a lean, but muscular build.  Her uniform was what caught his eye, though—the picture in the newspaper he had seen a week ago wasn't that far off its mark.  Growling at the pain in his back, he quickly got back to his feet and started back towards the building.  On the third step towards the warehouse, he heard another girl's voice shout at him.

            "Hold it right there!"

            "Who the fuck are you?" Joseph snapped, spinning around to see three similarly dressed girls not too far behind him.

            "What did you do to our friend?" a blonde girl demanded, taking a step forward.

            "I didn't touch her," Joseph growled, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go beat someone with their spine."

            "You're not going anywhere until we get some answers!" Sailor Moon barked, pointing a finger at him.

            "I don't want to fight anyone else," Joseph threatened, extending his claws again, "But if I have to, I will drop all three of you to stop that bastard inside."

            "You!" shouted Malachite, throwing a small crystal at Joseph.  When it got close enough, it exploded, sending all of them flying.  As soon as he landed, the last monsters were on him, clawing and snapping, trying to kill the vampire.  Joseph bobbed and weaved, dodging every blow that came his way, and moved away from the group of girls that had challenged him.  He leaned back and elbowed the monster behind him with the end of his bone claw, impacting its face while he ripped a gaping hole in another, sending both to the ground.  Whirling around, he caught a blow from the last monster, feeling his cheek tear as the thing's jagged arm sliced through his flesh.  Reeling, he flipped backwards and slammed his foot into the monster's throat, crushing its windpipe as he gained his footing again and followed it up with a slash to the neck, decapitating the creature.

            "This ends now," Malachite barked, launching a lengthy section of rebar directly at Joseph.  The vampire inhaled sharply as he was impaled just above the waist, grabbing the end of the metal and gripping it tightly.  He fell to his knees as the Negaverse general floated over to where he was and looked down at him with an air of contempt.

            "Such a valiant warrior," he sneered, crossing his arms once more, "And you managed to dispatch all of my soldiers, too.  Such a crime should not go unpunished."

            Malachite grabbed the end of the rebar and lifted Joseph into the air, channeling his power into the metal, causing it to heat up and sear the vampire's flesh.  Joseph roared in pain as his insides sizzled, gripping the bar tightly enough to nearly break it in two.  He suddenly lunged forward, impaling himself further, and grabbed Malachite's jacket, bringing him closer.  Opening his mouth, Joseph extended his fangs and snapped at the general's throat, almost drawing blood, but was thrown back as he swung the bar around.

            "Why won't you die?" Malachite whispered, grabbing the vampire by his neck.

            "MARS FIRE IGNITE!!"

            A plume of flame lanced out of the darkness, striking Joseph squarely in the back and searing Malachite in the process.  The general dodged the second blast and quickly peered around Joseph's struggling form to find where the source of the fire was at.  He saw another one of the Sailor Scouts running towards him, her hands aimed high as she sent another fireball his way.

            "Enough of this!" the general screamed, raising the rebar high.  He threw Joseph directly into Sailor Mars, causing both of them to crumple to the ground.

            "Ahh!" Mars blurted, rolling with the body.  When her head had cleared, she found herself entangled with the body of a strange teenager who wasn't moving.  Pulling her body out from underneath the other person, her eyes locked on the bloody rebar that extended from his back and she quickly looked away, feeling her stomach lurch.  Quickly scanning the area, she couldn't find a trace of Malachite, and was about to check on her friends when a small explosion threw her off her feet.

            "Now I can finish all of them off in one shot," Malachite laughed, extending a palm in each direction, targeting the Scouts as they struggled to get back up. 

            "Hold it!" bellowed a hoarse voice.

            Malachite turned around in time to receive a jagged shank of rebar to the ribs.  The angle of the improvised spear lessened the damage somewhat, but still tore a bloody gash on his left side.  His uniform was also ripped, causing the energy crystal he had stored to fall out and to the ground, where it promptly shattered and released its contents.

            "NOOOO!" he roared, clutching a hand to his ribs, "WHO DARES TO ATTACK ME?"

            His eyes fell on Joseph, who was breathing heavily and leaning on one knee.  The steel that had impaled him was a bit shorter now, but still protruded from his back in an awkward manner.  As he looked towards Malachite, he saw the general meet his gaze with one of pure, seething hatred and start to make a beeline for him.  When he got within close enough distance to shoot him with another energy blast, a surprising thing happened.

            "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!!"

            Lightning arced down from the sky, blazing a path into the antenna on Sailor Jupiter's tiara, and she focused the amazing power at the Negaverse general, blowing him right out of the sky.  He landed in a heap on the ground and got back up slowly, glaring daggers at the slowly advancing Scout.

            "You'll pay for that, you bitch," he snarled, taking a step towards her.

            "MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!!"

            The entire area was suddenly enveloped in a thick white fog, clouding Malachite's vision and causing him to take a step back.  He roared in anger as he shot bolt after bolt of energy aimlessly in the fog, hoping desperately to hit one of the Scouts, but found he couldn't.

            "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!!"

            A golden ray of light lanced through the fog and struck him squarely in the chest, throwing him off balance enough for Sailor Mars to launch another plume of flame at him.  Malachite dodged the second attack, but looked around warily in the slowly dissipating fog.  He had used much of his own energy in this plan, and he was already at half-strength…if they managed to drag this out, he would be too exhausted to get away.

            Cursing them in his native language, he regretfully opened a portal back to the Negaverse and entered it, just as another attack was coming his way.  It wasn't too much longer before the fog disappeared entirely and the Scouts could clearly see everything once more.

            "Where did Malachite go?" Sailor Jupiter asked, "I wanted to pay him back for that little tap he gave me earlier…"

            "I'm not picking up anything besides traces of Nega-energy," Sailor Mercury said, sweeping the area with her visor, "He probably left when he saw his imminent defeat."

            Sailor Moon suddenly let out a surprised scream when something latched onto her boot.  The others turned around quickly, expecting to find a threat, but were all shocked by what they saw.  Sailor Moon had unintentionally stood next to Joseph's body and he had latched onto her ankle, coughing up a fine mist of crimson as he tried to speak.

            "Where…is…he?" the vampire managed to get out, shortly before falling over and going limp.

=============================

End of Chapter 6


	7. Burning Questions

I know that you usually expect a lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of each fan fiction, but I have found them pointless and time-consuming. This fanfic is mine, however, and if anybody misuses it, there will be hell to pay. =====================================================================  
  
Discarded Souls By Darkslayer  
  
Chapter 7 Burning Questions =============================  
  
"I think he's dead."  
  
"Oh for goodness' sake Serena-get out of the way!" Sailor Mercury blurted, pushing her friend aside and kneeling down next to Joseph's still form. She laid her head on his chest and listened intently for a few moments, feeling for any signs of a pulse in his neck. Lifting her head, she stood up and moved to grab him under the arms so she could lift him.  
  
"Jupiter, could you give me a hand?" she said, "He's kinda heavy."  
  
"No problem," the brunette replied, picking his body up in her arms, "Where are we taking this guy?"  
  
"I don't think the hospital will just let us drop him off without a ton of questions," the guardian of Mercury explained, "We're gonna have to take him with us.Mars, are there any secluded rooms at your temple?"  
  
"There are a few extra rooms in the east wing," she replied, thinking for a minute, "We could stash him there for a short while, but nothing long- term."  
  
"Wait a second.why are we taking him with us?" Sailor Venus interrupted, "I don't mean to sound cold, guys, but wouldn't it be better for the cops to handle this?"  
  
"He could die by the time they get here," Sailor Moon spoke up, "We should do what we can."  
  
Silent acceptance. Turning to Sailor Mars, Sailor Moon quickly asked her:  
  
"What's the fastest way to the temple?"  
  
=============================  
  
The throbbing in his head began to slowly ebb away as he forced his eyes open. A soft, flickering light cast shadows over everything he could see, making it hard to tell exactly where he was. There were two shadowy forms that were next to him, moving around his body and cleaning his wounds, from the burning sensations that flared every few seconds. Joseph struggled for a moment, raising his head slightly and fighting the immediate sense of vertigo that followed. Although his vision was not one hundred percent clear, his ears were fine, and he heard several people inside the room talking.  
  
"How could he take a beating like that and survive? I saw Malachite throw him in front of my attack, but his back's completely healed!" said a voice.  
  
A soft beeping sound was all that could be heard next, along with a frustrated sigh. "What did you find out, Mercury?"  
  
"He's human, but he's not!" came the reply, "I've scanned him three times, and his physiology is almost human, but his bone structure is greatly different, and I'm detecting low-level power spikes from his entire body."  
  
"That would explain the fast healing, then, but what about those tattoos on his arms?"  
  
He feigned unconsciousness as one of them gently ran a finger along the cross on his right arm. "Oh my god.these aren't tattoos, these are brands!"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"It's like someone took a metal rod, heated the end, and burned this into his skin," gasped the other girl.  
  
Joseph inhaled as discreetly as he could, catching the three scents in the room and storing them away for later. The conversation died down to a whisper as they decided what to do with him, and a few moments later, he unwillingly passed out into oblivion again.  
  
The next time he awoke, he was alone. Joseph tried to rise up, but found he was bound to the bed by several pieces of rope and a heavy blanket. Frowning, he formed his claws and sliced through the cords and the blanket, freeing himself. Getting off the bed, he quickly found his boots and shirt, discarding the latter due to the damage done, and strapped his footwear back on. He slid over to the door, checking it, and found it open. Creeping out into the hall, he listened intently and heard faint voices in one direction that seemed to be getting closer.  
  
A powerful sensation washed over him, forcing the vampire to his knees and causing him to gasp in shock. It seemed to sap his strength and make him sluggish, which was evident as he struggled to his feet again. Taking a few staggering steps, he pushed a hand against the wall and rested for a moment.  
  
"Holy ground," he breathed, forcing his weakened body to go on.  
  
As he reached the end of the long hall, he could hear the voices become agitated and higher pitched; no doubt they had discovered him missing and were now looking for him. Falling into a slow jog, he exited the building and moved from covering to covering, staying aware of his surroundings and watching for any people. He felt weaker as he went on, the power of the hallowed ground sapping his energy as he sought escape. Heading for what seemed to be the nearest exit, he nearly made it when a girl's voice called out to him.  
  
"Joseph!?"  
  
Joseph paused for a split second, automatically turning his head to see who was calling to him. He saw a blond haired girl running towards him at full speed, a surprised look on her face.  
  
"Mina." he growled, regretting having stopped. He pushed himself harder, as he knew she was closing, and managed to clear the temple grounds, nearly collapsing as he hit the street outside.  
  
"Joseph, wait!" she shouted, chasing after him. The heels she was wearing were slowing her down, but she tried all the harder to reach the mysterious teen before he escaped. She watched as he drew closer to the road, looking about wildly for a means of escape.  
  
The vampire shot a look to his left and saw his salvation coming on four wheels with extra passengers. He waited a split second while the bus drove by, reaching out with his arm at the last second and snagging one of the rail handles, feeling his shoulder wrench in its socket. Joseph reached up with his other arm and hauled his feet up off of the pavement, just in time as a small pickup truck cut over from behind the bus and passed it right below the vampire. He let go and fell into the back of the truck, amidst a few dozen boxes, and collapsed, trying to conserve what strength he had left.  
  
Mina had stopped as soon as she had seen him grab onto the bus, and watched as he escaped. Before long, there were other voices shouting various things at her. Turning around, she saw several of her friends running towards her, Rei and Lita already having transformed into their Scout forms.  
  
"Mina, he's gone!" blurted Sailor Jupiter, "Did you see where he went?"  
  
"He hopped a bus," she replied, a thought already taking root in her mind, "He got away from us."  
  
=============================  
  
He staggered into the house, an arm wrapped around his abdomen as the pain coursed through his torso. The lights were on in the living room as Joseph moved as quickly as possible towards the main bathroom. He knew that his mother was home, and desperately hoped that she was in the rec room, or as far away as possible.  
  
"Joseph? Honey, is that you?"  
  
"Oh shit," he gasped, pitching himself forward into the bathroom. As he sprawled on the cool vinyl, he kicked out with his left leg, catching the doorknob and swinging the door shut. When he picked himself up off of the floor, he heard the handle begin to twist and his mother call out again.  
  
"Are you okay, Joseph-"  
  
"Don't open the door!" he blurted, "I'm naked!"  
  
"Oh, okay," she replied, "Let me know when you're done in there, I want to talk to you about something."  
  
"Sure thing," Joseph called back, slowly standing up. He looked over the white bandages that adorned his body and began to rip them off, examining his skin more closely. The puncture wound on his lower abdomen had just begun to close, and there was a large area of discoloration around the wound. Numerous lacerations adorned his face and neck, along with multiple bruises and sore joints on his arms and legs.  
  
"Nice job, Joseph," he told his reflection in the mirror, "Try to save a few humans and you get your ass stomped by some fruity punk in purple clothing."  
  
He stepped over to the shower cubicle and stripped his pants and boxers off, tossing them in a nearby hamper. Entering the stall, he closed the door and turned the water on, raising the temperature as high as he could stand it. His whole body burned anew with pain for a few moments, just before the heat from the water began to soak into his body and ease his aches and pains. Picking up a washcloth, he began to scrub the dried blood and loose bits of skin from his body and face, erasing any signs of the battle he had participated in. When Joseph was sure that he had thoroughly rid himself of any filth, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel just outside the cubicle, gingerly drying himself off.  
  
A quick jog to his room and some fresh clothes later, he headed back downstairs into the family room and walked over to where his mother was sitting down.  
  
"You wanted to see me about something?"  
  
"Good, you're dressed," she replied, looking him over, "We're going out tonight."  
  
"What?" he asked, a look of surprise crossing his face.  
  
"I finally managed to get the reorganization completed, and the department is back on track now, which the higher ups really liked," Kristin explained, "They liked it so much they called me in and gave me a promotion. Which means we're gonna go celebrate."  
  
"That's wonderful," Joseph answered, smiling at her, "Let's go."  
  
=============================  
  
He never knew his mother could slam so much alcohol.  
  
She was 'just a little tipsy', or so she had slurred, half- leaning/half-staggering on Joseph as they slowly made their way back up the driveway to the front door of the house. He fumbled with the key for a moment as she threw her arms up, screaming out and laughing.  
  
"Still can't believe it." she mumbled, turning to him, "You proud of me, honey?"  
  
"Of course I am," he told her, trying to work the lock, "I'm very proud of you."  
  
"Yay!" she cheered, leaping onto his back, "Let's have a victory ride!"  
  
Finally opening the door, he staggered into the house, his mother's arms wrapped around his neck. Flicking the light switch on, he carried his mother into her bedroom and managed to set her down on the bed gently.  
  
"I think you've had a little bit." he began, turning to look at her.  
  
She had passed out when she had hit the mattress, a smile of triumph on her face as she lay there. Moving quietly, he shifted her form, removing her shoes and her jacket before tucking her under the sheets. Exiting her room, he set her jacket on a nearby chair and walked into the kitchen where the vampire proceeded to rummage around in his cabinet for something to drink. Removing a bottle of scotch, he grabbed a glass tumbler, filled it with a few ice cubes and went into the living room, where he flopped on the couch. Just as he was beginning to pour the amber liquid into the tumbler, the doorbell rang.  
  
Grumbling under his breath, the vampire got up and shuffled over to the door. When he opened it, he saw a pair of light blue eyes looking up at him.  
  
"Hello Joseph."  
  
"Good evening, Mina," he greeted her, "What brings you to my door?"  
  
"I think you and I should talk," she replied, "About what happened at the temple earlier today."  
  
".Come in, please," he eventually said, stepping aside.  
  
She moved past him and into the living room, reflexively looking around as she waited for him to finish locking the door. Her eyes came to rest upon the empty tumbler and the bottle next to it when he spoke again.  
  
"Would you like something to drink?" Joseph asked, walking past her and heading towards the kitchen.  
  
"Uhh."  
  
"Please, Mina. I meant something I could legally give you."  
  
"Tea, if you have any," she answered, following him.  
  
"I do, but I'll have to brew it," he answered, picking up a metal teakettle off of a shelf and filling it with hot water. He set it upon the stove when it had filled, and turning on the burner, began to look around for teabags.  
  
"What happened?" she quietly asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How could you take that much of a beating and still be alive?" Mina continued, "You looked like you should have been in the intensive care unit of a hospital!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Joseph offhandedly said, "I was mugged earlier, and."  
  
"And nothing," she interrupted, pointedly looking at him, "I helped bandage your wounds when you were unconscious on the bed, Joseph. Who.or what are you?"  
  
"I'm just really lucky.I heal very fast," he lied.  
  
Her eyes narrowed as she moved around the table, unknown to him, and grabbing his shoulder, spun him around. "Why won't you answer my question?" she demanded, "You were nearly dead earlier, now you're up and walking around like nothing happened!"  
  
She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it, exposing the still- healing injury on his abdomen. Running her hand over the area, she saw him wince as she outlined the wound.  
  
"I was there when we pulled that out of you," she said, "Who are you?"  
  
He lowered his eyes and pulled away from her, grabbing the kettle with a hand and setting it on the table, dropping a teabag into the hot water. The awkward moment of silence dragged on for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke again.  
  
"I.have no real name," he softly said, "I'm not even human."  
  
"Who are you?" she repeated.  
  
He turned around and looked at her directly. She gazed into his cold, cobalt eyes for a few seconds before noticing that they were fading away, becoming fainter and fainter. The irises disappeared entirely, leaving his eyes entirely white, which elicited a gasp of surprise from her. Joseph bared his teeth and involuntarily snarled as his fangs slowly extended into his mouth, revealing his true nature.  
  
"You.you're a."  
  
"I think the term you're looking for is vampire, Mina," he calmly replied, crossing his arms, "Or at least that's what I think I am."  
  
She backed away, looking around for any type of weapon before her hand closed around her transformation wand. Holding out a hand, she spoke quickly and nervously.  
  
"Stay back. I'm warning you."  
  
"Oh please," he snapped, retracting his fangs, "If I wanted to suck your blood, I would have attacked you already. Besides, you're a bit young for my tastes."  
  
"And that's supposed to make me feel better how?" she asked.  
  
"It's a vampire thing," he shrugged, pouring her a cup of tea, "You youngsters just wouldn't understand."  
  
=============================  
  
Malachite groaned as he clutched his damaged midsection. The wound had been more serious than he had originally thought; instead of just a gash in his abdomen, the pipe had cracked two of his ribs. His head was still pounding from the beating he had received, which made it hard to make out the forms that hovered over the crystal he was in. As his eyelids closed again, he heard a powerful whisper that seemed to come from all around him.  
  
"Sleep."  
  
Outside the crystal, the ghostly white form of Queen Beryl stood next to the crystal cocoon, a hand resting on the surface as she looked at her injured general. Rising up, she turned to Darien, whom stood further away from the crystal, a small smirk on his face.  
  
"What have you managed to find out, my lady?"  
  
"It was those insufferable Sailor Scouts again," she snarled, "They weakened Malachite to his current state."  
  
"Impossible," Darien said, the smile disappearing from his face, "There were at least four soldiers that went with him-they could have easily dealt with all of the Scouts."  
  
"There was something else. It was a human.no, something more. The sheer energy radiating from it." Beryl continued, looking off into space as she drew upon the general's memories.  
  
After a few moments, Darien spoke again. "My lady?"  
  
"Darien, you have a new task. You will scour the city until you find this individual again, and you will bring him to me."  
  
"Alive?"  
  
"I wish to see just what manner of creature this is," she chuckled evilly, "And to find out where it gets its power from. If Malachite's memory is correct, we may not have to worry about stealing energy from the humans ever again."  
  
=============================  
  
"This is unbelievable."  
  
Joseph sighed. "Can I get down now, or are you going to gape all evening at me?"  
  
Mina took a step forward and poked him in his shoulder. The vampire hung upside down from the ceiling, arms crossed, as she continued to stare at him, not believing what she was seeing.  
  
"What else can you do?"  
  
"What makes you think I'm gonna tell you all of my secrets?" he answered, dropping to the floor without a sound.  
  
"Do you really drink blood? Or turn into mist? How come you can walk in sunlight?" she rambled.  
  
"Mina!" he barked, interrupting her, "Look. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't go around telling everyone about this, all right? I think that the world could get along quite well without knowing about me."  
  
"I don't know.this is all just so much." she mused, a small smirk crossing her face, "Can you give me a really good reason?"  
  
"I'll give you two. First off, no one would believe you. Secondly, if you want to keep your secret, I suggest you show a little professional courtesy, okay?"  
  
"What are you-"  
  
"Please, Mina. Throw on an orange skirt and white swimsuit and you have one of those Sailor girls. Besides, my nose doesn't lie-you have the exact same scent as the other girl did at the rave."  
  
"Touché," she finally said, crossing her arms, "And I guess this means that you want to know all about me?"  
  
"I really don't care if you get your kicks running around in ridiculous outfits and messing with strange magic, to tell the truth. I just want to know who is the bastard that attacked the rave the other night.it seems like you and he have met before."  
  
"His name is Malachite," Mina began, a note of disgust in her voice, "And he's a general of the Negaverse, our sworn enemies. He was probably attacking the rave because Beryl sent him to steal everyone's energy."  
  
"Whoa, you lost me there.steal their energy? Negaverse? And who's Beryl?" the vampire returned, a confused look on his face.  
  
"It's a long story," she admitted, placing her hands on the table, "And its getting rather late."  
  
"You decided to come over now," he replied, glancing at the clock.  
  
"Look, why don't you just meet me at my house tomorrow, and we'll explain everything, okay?"  
  
"We? You mean your other friends?"  
  
"Yeah. I'll bring them up to speed on the situation we're facing here, and then you'll hear our story."  
  
"Fair enough. I'll meet you there after school-say about three o'clock?"  
  
"Sure," Mina answered, "I'm sure the others will be looking forward to it."  
  
=============================  
  
End of Chapter 7 


End file.
